Freshman Winston takes reins for Florida State

TALLAHASSEE ó Most eyes will be focused on Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston on Monday night.

Jason Shoot | News Herald Writer

TALLAHASSEE ó Most eyes will be focused on Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston on Monday night.

Donít let that distract from all thatís going on around him.

FSU takes the field on Monday against the University of Pittsburgh at Heinz Field in both teamsí season opener. The Atlantic Coast Conference game kicks off at 7 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Seminoles have a lot of work to do if they want to match the exploits of the offensive unit that took the field last year. FSU ranked 19th nationally in total offense in 2012, and the Seminoles likely will need to produce similar numbers this year to make another run at an ACC championship and a berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

Winston, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound wunderkind who was one of the premier recruits in the country two years ago, was a spread quarterback in high school and had one redshirt season to adjust to Coach Jimbo Fisherís pro-style approach. Fisher will spread the field at times with four or five receivers, but heís more likely to feature a power set in an I-formation or opt for a single-back formation with three wideouts and a tight end on the field.

In other words, Winston has a lot more to process now than he ever did in high school. He wonít line up in the shotgun formation on every play and have plenty of time to decide to run or throw. He is reading defenses in game action from under center for the first time in his playing career, and Fisher probably isnít going to lean on his burgeoning superstar too much, particularly against the host Panthers.

Running backs Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. are the keys to Fisher balancing his offense and taking pressure off his young quarterback. Fisher always has preferred to balance the pass and run aspects of his offense. Last season, the Seminoles carried the ball on 54.5 percent of their offensive plays. In 2011, that number was 53.2 percent, and in Fisherís first season in 2010 it was 55.7 percent.

Freeman and Wilder Jr. are two very different running backs. Freeman is a little more fleet-footed and nimble at 5-9, 203 pounds, and Wilder Jr. is more of a physical presence out of the backfield at 6-2, 229 pounds. They combined for 1,295 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall, and those numbers could rise this year. Chris Thompson has moved on to the NFL, and true freshman Ryan Green is the third tailback on the depth chart with news coming out of Tallahassee on Thursday that Mario Pender is academically ineligible.

The news surrounding Pender results in FSU being a little thin on the depth chart at running back. That isnít a problem at wide receiver, where FSU touts three starters with legitimate expectations of playing on Sundays. Junior Rashad Greene established himself as a No. 1 receiver with a team-high 57 catches for 741 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Kenny Shaw (6-0, 170) seems like a perfect fit as a slot receiver, and redshirt sophomore Kelvin Benjamin is a big, athletic target who could make a considerable leap forward in his development this year.

The group that ultimately may determine the offenseís success in 2013 is the offensive line, which is the most deep and experienced group Fisher has enjoyed at FSU. Center Bryan Stork, a fifth-year senior, anchors a line that averages a beefy 317 pounds and should keep Winston upright and open holes for FSUís talented crop of tailbacks.